Spain-based fast-casual concept Honest Greens plans UK launch: Honest Greens, the Spain-based, healthy fast-casual restaurant brand, is planning a launch into the UK market, Propel has learned. Honest Greens was founded in 2017 by Christopher Fuchs, Dane Rasmus B and French chef Benjamin Bensoussan, who formed a friendship over their shared love for “gastronomy and entrepreneurship”, and decided to create a space for “healthy and delicious fast and affordable food after being frustrated by the lack of options fitting that criteria”. The company operates 12 sites spread across Barcelona and Madrid and five sites in Portugal. Propel understands the business has appointed Johny Fraser, formerly of Joe & The Juice, as its UK managing director to oversee its launch here. Fraser spent nine-and-a-half years at the juice bar chain, including three years as country director for Germany and five-and-a-half years as its UK managing director. It is thought the business is in talks on securing a debut site in central London. Honest Greens describes itself as “an innovative, passionate, and rapidly expanding restaurant lifestyle brand with one mission: improve society through real food”. The company states: “We do things differently in our industry, embracing – and creating – new restaurant trends and technologies that allow us to make healthy food affordable, convenient, and incredibly delicious. We believe this will help people in our communities live longer, happier and more sustainable lives. Over the coming years, we will be scaling our restaurant, geographical and digital footprint to ensure our customers can interact with our brand wherever they are.”

 

Sponsored message – BBPA rebrands with commitment to speak up for ‘iconic, much-loved industry’: The British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) has rebranded, reinstating its role as the voice of brewers and pubs. Unveiled at a parliamentary reception, BBPA’s new brand aims to embody the association’s role as “the voice of brewers and pubs”. The new brand embodies each element of the BBPA’s work with members; highlighting the uniquely British institution and industry it represents, showcasing the innovation of UK brewers, the pub as a place for people to join together and connect in communities across the country, and last but not least, the unmatched brilliance of a well-poured pint. BBPA chief executive Emma McClarkin said: “Our new brand is about highlighting our strengths and the future of our sector. For more than 100 years, the BBPA has championed the needs of British brewers and pubs, and it is now more than ever our voice needs to be heard, celebrated and invested in for future generations. Our industry is not only brimming with warmth and passion but also innovation, resourcefulness, skills, talent and above all, a desire and commitment to serve communities in every single part of our country. We are proud to represent British pubs and brewers, and hope our new brand speaks to the genuine emotion, vibrancy, and heritage our brilliant sector is known for as we look to the future.” If you have a sponsored story you would like to see featured in this newsletter position, email paul.charity@propelinfo.com.

Restaurant Marketer & Innovator videos to be sent to Premium readers on Monday, next edition of Blue Book to feature 705 companies: Propel Premium subscribers are to be given access to the entire recording of the 2023 Restaurant Marketer & Innovator European Summit Conference. Subscribers will be sent 30 separate video presentations, featuring more than 80 speakers. on Monday (13 February), at 9am. The videos include: Gail’s Bakery property director Brett Parker talking about how it is approaches the subject of sustainability, with particular focus on store fit-outs; The Food People co-founder Charles Banks discussing food trends, foresight and global inspiration; Katy Moses, founder and managing director at KAM, revealing exclusive new research focused on an often-forgotten customer group, aged 65 years-plus; and purpose expert Victoria Page exploring the point of purpose and why embracing this era of responsible business is critical to the future of your brand. Meanwhile, the next edition of the Propel Turnover & Profits Blue Book, which will be sent to Premium subscribers on Friday (10 February), will feature 705 companies. The Blue Book reveals 438 companies in profit and 267 reporting losses. The Blue Book is updated each month and ranks companies by turnover, profit and profit conversion, listing directors’ earnings for the past five years. Subscribers also receive the Propel Multi-Site Database, produced in association with Virgate; the New Openings Database; the UK Food and Beverage Franchisor Database; and the Who’s Who of UK Food and Beverage. Companies can now have an unlimited number of people receive access to Propel Premium for a year for £895 plus VAT – whether they are an operator or a supplier. The single subscription rate is £445 plus VAT for operators and £545 plus VAT for suppliers. Email jo.charity@propelinfo.com to upgrade your subscription. Subscribers also receive access to Propel’s library of Friday Wrap interviews and also have access to a curated video library of the sector’s finest leaders and entrepreneurs, offering their insights on running outstanding businesses in the sector. Premium subscribers also receive their morning newsletter 11 hours early, at 7pm the evening before our 6am send-out; regular video content and regular exclusive columns from Propel group editor Mark Wingett.

Reilley – people very unwilling to sacrifice eating and drinking out at the moment: Alex Reilley, executive chairman of Loungers, has said the company doesn’t feel it has seen an awful lot of change in the way customers are using its business and it would appear “people are very unwilling to sacrifice eating and drinking out at the moment”. Talking ahead of the launch of the group’s new roadside dining concept Brightside, Reilley told Propel the current market was “quite odd – there is no other word to describe it”. He said: “We don’t really feel we’ve seen an awful lot of change in the way people are using our business, in the frequency of visits. You speak to some people who are in big ticket types of consumer businesses, such as cars and fitness bikes, things that are really discretionary and not an absolute must have, and the general chat you get is they’re feeling a bit more of a pinch. I think in terms of people going out eating and drinking and the level of frequency, it would appear people are very unwilling to sacrifice that at the moment. While household spending is undeniably being squeezed, it’s not being squeezed against the backdrop where they’re out of work. This year feels as if it’s going to be a little bit sluggish. A good way of putting it is rather than being cautiously optimistic, I’m less pessimistic. The media, particularly since covid, just seems to really whip itself into a horrific, negative vortex. I mean, it’s fascinating the FTSE peaked at its highest level last week and it was barely mentioned. There are reasons to feel that what potentially is unravelling is not going to be as dramatic as everyone feared would be the case. And while I know there’s lots of businesses out there that probably have a different view of life than we do, we can only control what we do. We’re not unhappy with the way trade is at the moment. Like most people, we are fairly happy that the Armageddon forecast to happen hasn’t yet materialised – and doesn’t look like it probably will.”

UKHospitality welcomes new government department focusing on energy supply and costs: UKHospitality has welcomed the introduction of a new government body focusing on energy supply and costs, among other issues. Prime minister Rishi Sunak’s ministerial reshuffle included the formation of a new Department of Energy, Security and Net Zero, led by Grant Schapps as secretary of state. Downing Street said the new department will be tasked with securing the UK’s long-term energy supply, as well as “bringing down bills and halving inflation”. UKHospitality chief executive Kate Nicholls said: “Given the seismic impact that rising energy costs have had – and continue to have – on hospitality venues, the creation of a new department to focus on energy security is good news. The importance of energy to business operations cannot be overstated, especially at a time when so many other inflationary pressures are in play, so this separation within government must not lead to any disconnect in policymaking and engagement. In fact, working together will also be essential for hospitality businesses to deliver economic growth and achieve its net zero ambitions.” Nicholls also hailed a restructuring of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), led by Lucy Frazer as secretary of state. She added: “Hopefully, the restructuring of DCMS priorities will herald a new focus on the role tourism plays in the UK, contributing £75bn to the economy, and as a key export trade. The department’s Tourism Recovery Plan is essential for the sector, and I look forward to working together on its delivery.” Sacha Lord, the night-time economy adviser for Greater Manchester, added: “I welcome the appointment of the new culture secretary, Lucy Frazer. The sector has experienced the toughest years in its history, and with this move, I hope the support it is given starts to reflect its importance to economic growth. I encourage the new culture secretary to work urgently with the chancellor ahead of his spring Budget next month in order to deliver renewed opportunity and hope to the hundreds of thousands of hard-working people our sector employs. I also urge the secretary to call on the chancellor to rethink business energy support, which will fall away substantially from next month, leading to the inevitable closure of swathes of cultural and leisure venues across the UK.”

Your D+I to host online workshop to help companies be a more inclusive LGBT+ employer: Your D+I, which supports businesses on their diversity and inclusion journey, is running an online workshop to help companies be a more inclusive LGBT+ employer. The workshop, Know Your LGBTQIA History, takes place on Thursday, 16 February from 12pm-1.30pm. It will also offer a whistle-stop tour of LGBT+ history and get you comfortable using the correct language. Tickets are £10 and can be booked here. Propel is the media partner of Your D+I.

Job of the day: COREcruitment is working with a hotel collection in Scotland that is looking for a head of learning and development. A COREcruitment spokesman said: “You will provide support to regional teams in all learning, training and development matters. You will be responsible for driving performance by delivering innovative and creative initiatives that are consistent with the brand and will lead on group-wide learning and development projects. The business is seeking someone with experience within a similar role across a multi-site hospitality/hotel company and with proven a track record of leading designing and implementing innovative, creative and engaging training and development projects.” The salary is negotiable depending on experience. For more information, email lara@corecruitment.com

 

You Me Sushi aiming for 70-strong estate, with half open this year: You Me Sushi, the London-based restaurant and takeaway concept, has said it is aiming for an eventual estate of 70 sites, with half of them to be open this year. Founded in 2008, the brand now has circa 20 sites and last summer made its regional franchise debut, opening in a former STA travel shop on Friar Street in Reading town centre. It was also the brand’s first site outside of the capital, and it has since opened a second, in the former Stagecoach Travel shop in High Street, Cheltenham. The company is looking to expand its franchise operations in partnership with Seeds Consulting. “Since its founding in 2008, You Me Sushi has seen incredible success, thrilling London with its unique approach to Japanese cuisine,” it said. “You Me Sushi is now planning to share its innovative menu in an expansion across the UK, with plans to grow to 35 sites by the end of 2023 and then to double that estate again going forward. With the soaring popularity of clean-eating, raw and plant-based diets, and an increasingly growing health-conscious demographic, there has been a huge surge in demand for You Me Sushi cuisine. Sushi in particular has seen a spectacular growth in demand across the UK and has now become the fourth largest food to go product.” You Me Sushi, which at the time had eight stores, had said in June 2021 it planned to grow “to about 30” in the next 18 months. Last August, Propel revealed that the brand had appointed Amit Fridman, formerly of Nina’s Bakery and Gail’s, as its new managing director. Fridman, who founded Nina’s, the Kentish Town business, was previously operations director at You Me Sushi.

Buzzworks seeing double-digit like-for-like growth against pre-pandemic levels, full-year turnover exceeds £25m: Kenny Blair, managing director of Scottish independent restaurant and bar operator Buzzworks Holdings, has told Propel the business is seeing double-digit like-for-like growth against pre-pandemic levels. The company is set to take its estate to 19 sites with two openings in the next few months. Buzzworks will open the third site for the Herringbone business that it acquired for £2.2m last year at 3 Royal Terrance Gardens in Edinburgh. This will be followed by a new bar and restaurant on the waterfront in Greenock that will have 190 covers. “We are trading well and are cautiously optimistic,” Blair said. “We are looking for further opportunities, but being careful, and still investing in the business, both in terms of the sites and our people and culture.” Blair said the majority of its sites were tied into energy deals until 2026, which has allowed the business to keep price increases to a minimum. He added: “We’ve managed to maintain margins, mainly through a lot of hard work from the procurement team.” Buzzworks has put in place a number of recruitment initiatives, including a cash referral scheme to attract new talent, and Blair said while staffing is “still a challenge”, vacancies are back to where they were pre-pandemic. “We’re slowly winning on that one,” he added. Blair spoke as Buzzworks reported turnover increased 212% to £25,196,374 for the year ending 1 May 2022 compared with £8,101,791 the previous year. Pre-pandemic, the business turned over £18,395,820. Underlying Ebitda before site opening costs and non-recurring items was £3.8m (2021: £1.9m). It made a pre-tax profit of £1,979,645 compared with a loss of £719,448 the year before (2019: profit of £247,630). The business received £106,672 through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (2021: £3,682,304) and £136,500 in support grants (2021: £682,698). No dividend was paid (2021: nil).

Former McDonald’s business manager set to open first franchise site for Midlands ‘battered chips’ concept: Former McDonald’s business manager Dean Haynes is set to open the first franchise site for Midlands “battered chips” concept Bek’s, Propel has learned. Haynes spent 23 years with McDonald’s, running some of its busiest restaurants as well as working in quality assurance. Last year, he joined Bek’s, a third-generation family fish and chip business famed for its “battered chips”, located in Wednesbury, as director. He is now set to open a second site for the concept, and first franchise unit, at a former optician in Walsall. “We have just received planning permission and hope to be open by April,” managing director Bek Halil, whose grandfather founded the business after emigrating from Cyprus in the 1960s, told Propel. “We’ve had conversations with people who want to take Bek’s into other parts of the UK and had talks regarding the US and Middle East too, but we’re not ready for that yet. We see more value at this stage in growing naturally. We have a business model that works and we’re transferring that to a franchise model, which I think will be a success straight away. With Dean’s background, if it doesn’t work for him, it won’t work for anyone. The reason we have chosen to expand now comes down to capital, and franchising is the quickest way to grow. We feel we have a solid investment for people, and we have two interested people looking at sites in Manchester and London.” As well as the usual chippy fare, Bek’s also offers chicken and kebabs, but Halil said its selling point lies in its battered chips – a Midlands delicacy – that are cooked with a secret family recipe. Haynes, meanwhile, said he is seeking a multiple-site investment and would ideally like to have a portfolio of three to five locations. Of the company, he said: “It was almost like I’d seen fish and chips brought into the 21st century, and it was a really simple and efficient business model. Having spent 23 years in McDonald’s, where I had to run some of the busiest restaurants in the UK and spent time within quality assurance, I feel I bring a reputation and a level of expectation to replicate this store’s standard and success in another or many other locations.”

Soho Coffee parent group remains ‘fully committed’ to supporting brand as it explores new post-covid market opportunities: Soho Coffee Co (SCSL), the privately-owned coffee company, has said parent group BTC Hospitality (BTC WWL) remains “fully committed” to supporting the brand as it explores new post-covid market opportunities. It comes as the company narrowed its pre-tax losses from £4,998,936 in 2021 to £3,020,355 in the year ending 30 January 2022. This compares to a loss of £3,579,484 in the last full year before covid, ending 26 January 2020. Turnover more than doubled from £4,224,357 in 2021 to £8,766,710 but remains behind the last pre-pandemic figure of £11,488,055 in 2020. The company received £609,595 in local support grants (2021: £310,7070) and £777,386 from the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (2021: £1,642,052). In his statement accompanying the accounts, director Ijaz Malik said: “SCSL has taken the opportunity presented by the pandemic to conduct a ‘root and branch’ review of the business model, focusing on what the post covid landscape is likely to be and consequently pivoting the brand’s strategic direction. New brand footprints, the development of strategic business partnerships, targeted sector development, and ecommerce form the key elements of the revised business plan. The directors anticipate a number of market opportunities could arise out of the pandemic, including market consolidation activity, which could facilitate entry into new market segments, and the availability of enhanced commercial deals generally across the sector. While trading conditions remain challenging, BTC WLL views this as largely cyclical and remains fully committed to supporting the Soho Coffee Co brand, which continues to invest in infrastructure, property, product and people to drive future growth and profitability. SCSL has food innovation and product development resource based at the CPU in Cheltenham. The directors seek continually to refresh and update the menu and product offering in stores, and has a dedicated product development team, based in Cheltenham, to drive this objective.” SCSL currently has a managed store portfolio of 28 Soho Coffee Co branded coffee shops across the UK and a franchise business with branded stores in the UK, Europe and Middle East. Since the year-end, it has launched both a new grab-and-go concept, with a site at Birmingham airport, and a new smaller footprint concept for the travel market, with a site at Northampton train station. Last month, Penny Manuel stepped down as managing director and moved to a position advising the group’s UK board, with an external replacement to be appointed in due course. 

Macellaio RC founder set to launch Italian hospitality academy in London, reveals further details of new seafood concept: Macellaio RC founder Roberto Costa is set to launch an Italian hospitality academy in London and has revealed further details of his forthcoming new seafood concept. The Italian restaurant group, which Costa founded in 2012, has six sites in the capital – in Fitzrovia, Soho, South Kensington, Exmouth Market, Union Street and Battersea. Now, through his work with the Italian Chamber of Commerce, Costa will next month launch the Matooro Academy, which will train and support young Italians looking to start a career in the sector. An intensive six-month course will teach students the basics of both back and front of house roles, through a partnership with the European School of Economics in Marylebone. “For me the ‘Matooro’ academy is a very important project,” Costa told Primocanale. “It is a training school where young people will be able to learn a trade that is very often denigrated, and which in the last year has experienced a real vocational crisis. We have a didactic and practical programme of six months, and in these six months, the kids can learn how to become restaurant managers. For me, this is truly a project in which I am dedicating myself, because I count on it very much and I care a lot. Italy last year had an incredible tourism boom – let’s say the GDP is certainly kept up by the hospitality side. Now, 90% of the last two metres of this million-dollar industry is done by a waiter – it is an absolutely underestimated profession. What I’d like to be able to get across is that a waiter is not a waiter for life, a waiter can evolve. A waiter can become a manager, a waiter can become a chief executive.” Last July, Costa told Propel he was planning to bring a new seafood concept to London and has now revealed more details of the venture, set to be located in Canary Wharf. “There are new neighbourhoods in Canary Wharf, one of which is called Oddworld, where all the residential part is,” he added. “Today it is growing very significantly, and large companies and the big chains are investing there. Our small satisfaction is we will be the only independent ones, because it will be a new concept called ‘Fish Game’ – we will put fish and game together.”

KFC UK & Ireland appoints Kathryn York as chief people officer: KFC UK & Ireland has appointed Kathryn York as its new chief people officer, Propel understands. York joins KFC UK & Ireland after six years with the brand’s global team in the US, including the past three years as its talent director. Previous to that, she spent three years with its UK & Ireland team as a regional HR business partner. Prior to joining KFC, she spent more than four years at Nestle. York’s appointment comes after Neil Piper, who last year had a stint as interim managing director of KFC UK & Ireland, left the fast-food chain after more than 14 years with the business in January. Piper joined KFC in June 2008 as an area coach after almost four years at Mitchells & Butlers. During his time at KFC, he had stints as head of talent and director of HR for its global business and was appointed chief people officer for the UK & Ireland in June 2017. 

Burgerism launches Liverpool site, secures Warrington opening: Burgerism, the fast-growing smash burger concept from Foodomnia, has launched its new site in Liverpool and secured a further opening in Warrington, as the brand continues on its mission to become the “Domino’s for burgers”. On the Liverpool site, the group’s sixth in total, it has partnered with Jimmy’s – the three-storey live music venue and bar operator located in Bold Street. From its custom-fit commercial kitchen, Burgerism serves both in-house Jimmy’s customers as well as the wider city of Liverpool through Deliveroo, UberEats and Just Eat. Director and co-founder, Mark Murphy told Propel: “We’re thrilled to launch in Liverpool. It’s an iconic city in the north west with a food scene full of brilliant independents. Our partnership with Jimmy’s is exciting – it’s a new way of working for us and makes a lot of sense. Jimmy’s is a great brand and is well established among the trendy offerings of Bold Street. It hosts some awesome bands every week on top of running a busy bar, so for us to slot in alongside that is really cool – and importantly, the set-up is designed to allow us to continue our focus on delivery, in addition to serving Jimmy’s in-house fans. In recent years, we’ve been approached by multiple bar/venue operators; we’re always keen to discuss partnerships where we can set up quickly, and bring what we do to new fans in the local area through delivery. For us, it’s a lot more compelling than pure-play dark kitchens.” At the same time, the business, which plans to have 12 sites open by the end of this year, has signed on a location in Warrington, where it will build a delivery and collection format. Murphy said: “That format remains the primary focus for us. Burgerism brings a better delivery burger experience, and we see a wide range of suitable locations to continue our mission.”

Wagamama opens 155th UK site as it doubles up in Norwich: Wagamama, The Restaurant Group (TRG)-owned brand, has opened its 155th UK site, and second in Norwich. The restaurant has launched at the Riverside Retail Park in Wherry Road, creating 78 jobs. The venue accommodates 118 diners inside and a further 12 outside. It adds to Wagamama’s other site in the Norfolk city, in Chapelfield Plain. Kelly Unsworth, general manager of the Riverside Retail Park restaurant, said: “We have been feeding the Norwich community for nearly ten years, and the expansion of another restaurant means we can welcome even more customers.”

Midlands gourmet chicken wings concept opens third site, fourth to follow shortly as it gears up for franchise-led expansion: Midlands gourmet chicken wings concept Wingtrapp has opened its third site, with a fourth to follow shortly as it gears up for a franchise-led expansion. Wingtrapp, launched by three friends in Leicester in 2018, offering a Halal menu, opened its first site, in the city’s Granby Street, that same year. Its second venue, and first franchise operation, opened in January last year, in a former Subway store on the corner of Newhall Street and Grear Charles Queensway in Birmingham. It has now opened in Nottingham, a 40-cover site at 5 Midland Way, and this will be followed in the coming weeks by an opening in Coventry. “2023 is going to be a big year for Wingtrapp,” a company spokesman said: “With a further two sites opening this month, we are now ready to discuss franchise opportunities with potential investors. Our unique concept and exciting concept has allowed us to rapidly grow over the past 18 months. We have a fast-paced, customer-centric environment and our goal is to serve the best, freshly prepared ‘gourmet’ wings on the high street.”

The Beefy Boys to open in Cheltenham for third site: Burger restaurant concept The Beefy Boys is to open its third site, in Cheltenham. The Beefy Boys, which specialises in burgers and American-style barbecue food alongside cocktails and alcoholic milkshakes, will launch the venue in the former Bill’s premises in Regent’s Street on Saturday, 25 February. The Cheltenham restaurant will provide seating for 160 covers and feature a downstairs bar, along with a large-scale burger mural and event space upstairs. The Beefy Boys, which was created in 2011 by a quartet of burger-loving childhood friends, launched its flagship restaurant in The Old Market in Hereford in 2016, having come second in the World’s Best Burger competition at the World Food Championship in Las Vegas the previous year. Its second restaurant, in Shrewsbury, followed in 2021. The concept also operates a food van at events and locations across the region. Co-founder Anthony Murphy said: ”We are excited to finally be opening a site in Gloucestershire after having regularly brought our food truck to various locations in the county. We want to create a vibrant and relaxed environment for people of all ages to socialise and celebrate.”

UberEats and the British Nutrition Foundation join forces to promote healthier choices: UberEats has joined the British Nutrition Foundation as a corporate member, the first food delivery app to do so, as part of its commitment to help with tackling obesity and “improving the accessibility and convenience of healthier options for consumers”. Working together, the two companies said they aim to encourage restaurants on the platform to provide healthier options and to encourage their customers to make healthier choices. It comes as 70% of small and medium-sized restaurants UberEats surveyed reported a lack of clarity about what constitutes healthier food. The company said: “Working together, UberEats and the British Nutrition Foundation will create a credible, workable, evidence-based framework, co-created with restaurant partners, that will allow even the smaller restaurants without access to nutritional information a way to provide healthier choices through the UberEats app.” Matthew Price, UberEats UK general manager, said: “As a platform that regularly delivers millions of meals and works with more than 61,000 restaurants, including 30,000 small and medium-sized businesses, we know we have a responsibility to help tackle obesity. We want to help customers make informed choices about the food they eat and also support our restaurant partners in offering a greater range of healthier options.”

Coco di Mama to open first regional store this week: Coco di Mama, the Azzurri Group-owned Italian food-to-go brand, will make its regional debut this week with an opening in Reading. Propel revealed in October that the brand, which has 15 sites in the capital, had secured the former Ecco shoe store in the city’s Broad Street for its first regional bricks-and-mortar site. It will now open on Friday (10 February), offering an all-day Italian menu, specialty-grade Allpress coffee and made-to-order pasta pots. Customers can visit in-store or order online for delivery, and the business will also be launching an office catering menu for the local area. “We’re really excited that Reading will be our first flagship store outside of London as part of our regional expansion plans,” said managing director Jim Attwood. “We hope to bring something new, exciting and generous to Reading’s high street customers, and a brand that also gives back to the local community.”

SSP joins apprenticeship and graduates initiative: UK-based transport hub foodservice specialist SSP has joined apprenticeship and graduates initiative The 5% Club. A movement of more than 700 employers, companies joining The 5% Club commit to raising the number of apprentices, sponsored students and graduates on formal programmes to 5% of their total workforce within five years. Members, which range from small businesses to FTSE 100 ones and cover a number of diverse industries, are also asked to publicly report their progress in their annual report. Liz Phillips, SSP UK & Ireland HR director, said: “With the recovery of the business after the pandemic, it’s never been a better time to reinforce our commitment to developing our teams and future leaders. By joining The 5% Club, SSP UK is able to demonstrate our commitment towards the UK’s growth agenda and tackle the skills shortage, while executing our ongoing plan to create opportunities and careers for the future. Over the next few years, we aim to increase the number of apprenticeship opportunities for our colleagues currently working with us, and work towards creating future openings into the business where new colleagues can join us directly via formalised and recognised earn and learn programmes.”

Mission Mars opens second Rudy’s site in Birmingham: Mission Mars has opened the second Birmingham site under its Rudy’s Pizza Napoletana brand. The 90-cover restaurant has launched in the former Cielo premises in Oozells Street, adding to its other site in the city, in Bennetts Hill. General manager Josh Cheevers said: “We are so pleased to have officially opened Rudy’s Brindleyplace. The team are ready to serve our much-loved Neapolitan pizza in our second Birmingham location and we can’t wait to see everybody visit the new pizzeria.” Rudy’s is set for further expansion, with a third Leeds restaurant, while Missions Mars said last month the brand has four other sites in legals.